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A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said: “We truly understand the heartache that the family must have gone through as a result of this incident, especially as they had gone away in good faith believing that their beloved pets had been well looked after while they were on holiday.

“We took the matter seriously and an inspector was tasked to investigate after we were contacted by Gertie’s owner. The owner of the pet service was extremely remorseful and fully cooperated with the investigation.

“This had not been a deliberate act of cruelty or neglect, but one of genuine human error, which sadly resulted in the death of an animal, and we have been assured that lessons have been learned to ensure something like this does not happen again.

“Even if a matter is serious, it is not always appropriate to take a prosecution - each case has to be reviewed on its own facts and in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and in this matter, on balance, it was not considered to be in the public interest to prosecute.”